the_debt_of_time

"Remus!" Tonks yelled.
The door burst open, and Molly stepped inside just in time to gasp at the sight of
Remus, snarling, as he hovered over Snape's crumpled body. Tonks was trying to pull him
back while Sirius sat at the table, clenched hands threaded tightly through his hair as his
shoulders shook.
"What on earth is going on in here?!" Molly shrieked.
"Unfinished business," Remus growled down at Snape.
"Remus, let's go for a walk," Tonks insisted, pulling on his arm until he finally
relented, letting her drag him from the room.
"What happened?" Molly demanded, turning to look at Sirius, who only replied by
shoving Dumbledore's letter toward her. She read the request and then sighed as she looked
over at Snape, who had finally pulled himself to his feet, looking incredibly sore but
infuriatingly proud of himself at the same time. "Can I trust the two of you to be left alone
in the same room while I fetch Harry so he can know what's to happen?"
Sirius gave her a stiff nod, angry to find his hands still shaking.
"Grown men," Molly muttered under her breath as she walked out of the room,
closing the door behind her.
"You had no right," Sirius growled.
"Perhaps next time I'll just hang you upside down by your ankle," Snape hissed,
black eyes narrowed. "Or lead you into an underground passage with a werewolf on the
other side."
Silence filled the room as Sirius forced himself to calm down. Snape silently cast a
Healing Charm on his own face. It did not take very long before Harry stepped into the
room, looking as though he were facing the gallows. He cleared his throat, announcing his
presence.
Sirius took a sharp breath, trying to school his expression into something a little
calmer. There would not be a way to explain what had happened anyway. In the end, it
would only make Harry fear Occlumency lessons.
"Sit down, Potter," Snape instructed.
"You know," Sirius said loudly, leaning back on his rear chair legs and speaking to
the ceiling, as he was unable to look at Snape's face without seeing red, "I think I'd prefer
it if you didn't give orders here, Snape. It's my house, you see."